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The World's Largest Bacterium Is Visible To The Naked Eye

December 12, 2015

Written byCuriosity Staff

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Thiomargarita namibiensis lives off the coast of Namibia in the sediment on the ocean floor. Its large size is due to its central vacuole, which is full of nitrates. Typical cells range between .1 and .3 millimeters in size, but the largest specimens reach diameters of .75 millimeters. Its genus name means "sulfur pearl," and indeed, the bacteria look like tiny, lustrous pearls due to sulfur granules within them.